Carry in Great Smokey Mountains National Park?

This is a discussion on Carry in Great Smokey Mountains National Park? within the Concealed Carry Issues & Discussions forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; As far as I can read and decypher, it is legal to carry in the Great Smokey Mountains In both Nc And Tenn , Is ...

Yes, so long as your permit is recognized in TN or NC. Not legal to carry into any buildings though.

Very minor point on this. It's illegal to carry into a building where Gov officials, ie park employees, work. And they have to be signed as no weapons. The reason I mention this is that the Smokies is full of cool old buildings and houses. Those are OK to go into. What you can't carry in are the offices, visitor centers, or any building that is staffed. You can't miss the signs either, they are like 18" x 18".

(a) Except as provided in subsection (d), whoever knowingly
possesses or causes to be present a firearm or other dangerous
weapon in a Federal facility (other than a Federal court facility),
or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned
not more than 1 year, or both.
(b) Whoever, with intent that a firearm or other dangerous weapon
be used in the commission of a crime, knowingly possesses or causes
to be present such firearm or dangerous weapon in a Federal
facility, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(c) A person who kills any person in the course of a violation of
subsection (a) or (b), or in the course of an attack on a Federal
facility involving the use of a firearm or other dangerous weapon,
or attempts or conspires to do such an act, shall be punished as
provided in sections 1111, 1112, 1113, and 1117.
(d) Subsection (a) shall not apply to -
(1) the lawful performance of official duties by an officer,
agent, or employee of the United States, a State, or a political
subdivision thereof, who is authorized by law to engage in or
supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or
prosecution of any violation of law;
(2) the possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon by a
Federal official or a member of the Armed Forces if such
possession is authorized by law; or
(3) the lawful carrying of firearms or other dangerous weapons
in a Federal facility incident to hunting or other lawful
purposes.
(e)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), whoever knowingly
possesses or causes to be present a firearm in a Federal court
facility, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title,
imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both.
(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to conduct which is described
in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (d).
(f) Nothing in this section limits the power of a court of the
United States to punish for contempt or to promulgate rules or
orders regulating, restricting, or prohibiting the possession of
weapons within any building housing such court or any of its
proceedings, or upon any grounds appurtenant to such building.

So the title CLEARLY states an exemption for other lawful purposes. Now I do not want to be the test case for this but couldn't an organization like GOA or Second Amendment Foundation challenge the ban on CCW in Post offices etc. Last time I checked protection of self WAS still a lawful activity, I mean seriously how often are you going to be hunting in a post office?????

The last paragraph in my quote clearly carves out an exception for the courts but nowhere does it except park building or Post Offices.

I carried on my last trip to the GSMNP. I would hate to run into trouble on the trail when I'm 8 miles up a mountain, in the middle of nowhere, with no soul seen for 7.9 miles. Have fun, be safe, and get off the beaten path.

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
Question everything, Learn something, Answer nothing.
Those who have an answer for everything, have an answer for nothing.

Just one point - an earlier post said a permit valid in NC or TN... given the park straddles the state line, you best have a permit that is valid in BOTH NC and TN... unless you want to keep track of what side of the border you are on at any given point....

"To predict the behavior of ordinary people in advance, you only have to assume that they will always try to escape a disagreeable situation with the smallest possible expenditure of intelligence." Friedrich Nietzsche

"To predict the behavior of ordinary people in advance, you only have to assume that they will always try to escape a disagreeable situation with the smallest possible expenditure of intelligence." Friedrich Nietzsche